City of Bellingham Committee of the Whole

The Committee of the Whole addressed three significant operational and policy items during a nearly three-hour session. The meeting's most consequential action was approving the formation of a Regional Fire Authority (RFA) planning committee with Fire District 8, marking a potential shift toward creating an independent fire service taxing authority. This decision came after staff presented a comprehensive public safety needs assessment revealing substantial funding gaps — approximately $21 million over 10 years for critical fire department needs alone, and $3 million additional general fund requirements by 2027 just to maintain current service levels. The committee also approved the appointment of Deputy City Clerk Kelly Getz as the new Public Records Officer, transitioning these duties from the City Attorney's office to better align with records management expertise. This administrative change responds to a nearly five-fold increase in public records requests since 2016, from 1,200 to almost 5,000 annually. Staff provided an extensive update on digital accessibility compliance efforts, highlighting the city's preparation for federal ADA compliance deadlines in April 2026. The presentation detailed innovative approaches including adoption of AI-powered tools like DocAccess for PDF remediation, which proved dramatically more cost-effective than manual alternatives — $134 versus $1,100 for processing equivalent documents. The public safety assessment dominated discussion, revealing critical service gaps across fire, EMS, and police departments. Fire department availability rates have dropped below optimal thresholds, with most units operating at 86-90% availability versus the target 90-92%. Response time compliance rates for fire and EMS calls within city limits stand at only 67%. The police department operates with just 6-7 patrol officers and 2 supervisors covering the entire city most times, contributing to an average 7-minute response time for Priority 1 emergency calls including domestic violence and injury accidents.